Speed-wagon



No 6|I,438v Patented Spt. 27, |8198.

F. W. PH'HSIPS. SPEED WAGON.

(N0 Model.)

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. ATENT FRANK WV. PHILIPS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SPEED-WAGON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 611,438, dated September 27, 1898.

l Application filed January 1S, 1898. Serial No. 666,500. (No modali) To LZZ whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. PHILIPS, a citizen of the United States, residin gat Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed-Vagons; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap# pertains to makeand use the same.

My invention has reference to speed-wagons; and the object of the invention is to overcome and remedy certain material defects in speed-wagons as they are now constructed, all substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a speed-wagon which embodies my improvements. Fig. 2 is a perspective elevation of the front frame of the running-gear, looking from the front and considerably enlarged `over Fig. 1 and with the wheels omitted. Fig. 3 is a central cross-section of Fig. 2 and showing a portion of the box or body in section thereon.

In the construction of a wagon according to my invention the two sections of the running-gear which carry the front and rear wheels, respectively, have no pole or other like connection, but are each directly and separately connected to the wa'gon box or body A. These two frames, furthermore, are substantially alike in construction, excepting as the front frame is modified to'carry the fifthwheel and the shafts or thill and to adapt it to turn in respect to the body.

Referring now to Fig. 2, we see the frame B as it is adapted to the front of the wagon. This frame has several distinct and novel features of construction which contribute not only materially to lightness and strength but to the utility of the wheel. Thus it will be seen that I have a double truss 2, which carries the front part of the fifth-wheel O and has its extremities brought down to support the inner ends of the wheel-spindles 3. These spindles may be of any desired pattern or style; but in a speed-wagon especially they should be located to thevery best advantage for ease and freedom of movement and be so firmly secured that they will hold faithfully to the ,line of travel. To these ends I employ the arched and rearwardly-inclined'brace 4, which has its extremities engaged with the extremities of spindles 3, thus bringing said brace to bear against the spindles outside the Wheels. In this way also the spindles become built into and form a part of the whole frame B, and great iirlnness and rigidity of spindle are produced. The inclination of about forty-five degrees, which the brace istands, makes it particularly effective, and having such an effectual brace to the ends of the spindles and having the said brace built into the frame B it is obvious that all the parts of this entire structure may be com# paratively light `in stock and yet' very iirm and durable in service. The truss 2and arch 4i, are further connected by the iifth-wheel C, which is secured across their top and center and by cross-braces 5 at each side opposite theclips 6, which carry the shafts or thills. (Not shown.) `The clips 6 are each supported laterally by braces 7, 8, and 9, as here shown, and the braces V7 extend down voutside of the Wheel and connect with the outer end ofthe spindle 3, thus'giving a support tothe spindle directlyfrom above and contributingto its rmness. Of course any equivalent arrangement of braces and supports for the clips 6 may be employed, so that the exact details as here shown and described need not necessarily be followed. The fth-wheel O -is fixed to the truss 2 and brace 4 at such points as will give it the requisite support and is designed to have a width equal to or approximately equal to the width of the box A.

As speed-wagons have heretofore been constructed the fifth-wheel has been made too narrow for safety and particularly too narrow to prevent much disagreeable lateral swaying of the body when under severe strain'on a circular track. I have therefore built my wheel of such Width that sway or vibration on' the fifth-wheel is absolutely prevented, and the body or box A is supported" on its sides as fully as at its middle or center. The'wheel having this width and essential value is itself so fixed upon its supports that it cannot give way or yield at any point, `but must bear up uniformly all around and retain its horizontal position. The importance of this construc- IOO tion of fifth-wheel is further apparent when considered in connection with theW king-bolt D. It will be seen that this bolt is firmly fixed to the bottom of box A and enters a tubular bearing E, fixed firmly to the frame B by brace-rods lO and 12 or their equivalent. Other rods or braces 13 connect the truss 2 and arched brace 4, and all these several braces serve not only their special uses, but also to strengthen the frame B as a complete structure. By thus bringing the king-bolt toward the center of the fifth-wheel and employing a wheel large enough to take the side strain or tendency to sway as far as possible from said bolt I reduce to the minimum the danger of bending or snapping off of the kingbolt `when any specially violent action occurs-as, for example, when a horse bolts the track. The opposite or upper member G of the fifth-wheel is fixed to the bottom of the box A, and clips or keepers 15 at intervals confine and hold said parts in operating relation.

By the foregoing construction and arrangement of parts it will be seen that the clips 6 come directly over the front wheels, so that the draft or pull of the shafts is immediately opposite the said wheels. This is of material advantage in that the application of the draft directly in line with the line of travel of the wheels and in suchV proximity as shown is equivalent to having the draft connected directly to the spindles of the wheels. Finally it will be noticed that the brace 4L is set at such an angle from the wheel-spindle to the body A that the spindle is perfectly and rigidly braced against vibration or rearward strain, and this is deemed as of the greatest importance in the present construction. Ordinarily, as wagons are built, the strain comes wholly or nearly so at the point where the body connects with the running-gear and indicated by X in Fig. l. In all such constructions, however well made, back-and-forth vibration of a very objectionable character always occurs in high speed. Now it is evident that by means of my curved brace 4, extending from the extremities of the wheelspindles at the most advantageousv angle to and against the bottom of the wagon-body, the strain is transferred from X and the kingbolt and its associated parts to the said brace,

* and this brace is such as to absolutely prevent the vibration sought to be remedied. So perfectly does this construction and arrangement of parts operate that I can use a matelend of the bolt beneath the sleeve D.

Figs. 2 and 3, and hence bears against the body A through the fifth-wheel instead of coming directly in touch therewith. The effect, however, is practically the same as a direct contact would be, because the fifthwheel is of such depth as to extend almost directly beneath the brace. It might rest on the brace 4 at this point or have fingers or Webs ct, as here shown, for making the connection.

The king-bolt D is described and shown as attached to the bottom of body A, to which it is secured by bolts throughits iian ged head, and a nut and lock for the nut engage the It will be noticed that said bolt and sleeve are located centrally between the sides of the fifthwheel, and by reason of having a fifth-wheel practically as wide as the wagon-body the side pressure and lateral strain come mainly thereon instead of being upon the king-bolt.

What I claim isl. A speed-Wagon consisting of front and rear truss-frames carrying the wheel-spindles, each frame extending upward perpendicularly from the spindles, an arched brace for each frame and its set of spindles arranged at an angle of substantially forty-five degrees to the said frame, anda wagon-body connecting said frames and having said arched braces bearing against the bottom of the same, said braces having substantially straight portions at their bearing against the body, substantially as described.

2. In running-gear for speed-Wagons, the truss-frame and wheel-spindles on the extremities thereof, said frame built up between two vertical planes from said spindles, the inwardly and upwardlyinclined arched brace for said frame and spindles having a straight portion at its top and on the same plane substantially as the top of the said truss-frame, and rigid connections between the tops of said frame and said arched brace, substantially as described.

3. In running-gear for speed-wagons, separate frames for the front and rear having each a truss-support carrying the wheel-spindles, and an inclined brace engaging the ends of the spindles, substantially as described.

4. A speed-wagon having running-gear with an independent arched supportin g-frame for the wagon-box and wheel-spindles thereon, an arched and inclined brace engaging said spindles, and a thill connection on said frame above said spindles, substantially as described.

5. In running-gear forspeedwagons,arched supports and spindles thereon, and inclined braces for said spindles, a fifth-wheel on the front frame, and thill connections centrally above the tread of the front wheels, substantially as described.

6. Aspeed-wagon having running-gear with arched supports and an inclined brace for each support, wheel-spindles at the extremities of said supports and connected with the IOO IIO

extremities of said braces, connections for the thills and braces therefor between said arched support and the said spindles, substantially as described.

7. A gear for speed-Wagons consisting of an arched frame and spindles thereon, arched and inclined braces for said spindles and a iifth wheel supported across said arched frame and said inclined brace and rigidly connecting the same, substantially as dcscribed.

8. A gear for speed-Wagons constructed with anl arched frame, spindles at the extremities of said frame, lateral arched braces connecting the ends of said spindles to said frame, an arched and inclined brace connecting the ends of said spindles, and said inclined brace and arched frame having the lower member of a fifth-Wheel connecting the same and supported thereon, substantially as described.

9. A front gear for speed-Wagons constructed with an arched frame, spindles at the extremities of said frame, lateral arched braces connecting the extremities of said spindles to said frame, thill connections on said lateral braces, an inclined and arched brace connecting the extremities of said spindlesJ said inclined brace and arched frame having a fifth-Wheel connecting the two and supported thereon,and a king-bolt bearing for said fifth- Wheel connected and supported by braces on said inclined brace and truss-frame, substantially as described.

10. The combination of the arched front frame and its inclined brace, with the fifth- Wheel, the Wagon-body and the king-bolt supported thereon substantially midWaybetWeen the sides of the fifth-Wheel and the sleeve through Which said bolt projects, andlateral braces for said sleeve from the said frame and inclined brace, substantially as described.

l1. The front arched4 frame and the inclined brace, B, in combination With the fifth- `Wheel, the sleeve for the king-bolt arranged centrally Within the said iifth-Wheel and brace-supports for said Wheel, substantially as described.

Witness my hand to the foregoing specification this 22d day of December, 1897.

- FRANK W. PHILIPS. Witnesses:

H. T. FISHER,

R. B. MOSER. 

